The group agreed. They headed to the local food cafes that were built under the demon made arenas. They formed different cliques as they ate the food and listened in on the fights that were described. Yusuke and the others watched over Kuwabara since he had help from Kurama and Hoshimi to be able to breathe just fine without the miasma seeping in.
"Say, Hoshimi, who are you staying with?" Chu leaned back on his chair to ask her. "You ain't staying with that smooth talker are ya?" She was sitting with Suzuki and Shishi.
Hoshimi gave a soft smile. "Shuichi was the first one to offer since he has been living at my place in the human world. He wanted to return the hospitality."
The rest let out a defeated sigh.
"That guy he sure knows how to call dibs," Chu muttered returning to Rinku and Toya. All of them agreed.
Jin was sitting with Yusuke and Kuwabara. Hiei and Kurama were sitting with one another watching the demons around them.
"We have several onlookers," Hiei didn't look up from his food.
"They been watching for a while," Kurama added. "Among them could be Raizen's old friends but which."
"None are fixated on her," Hiei sensed. "Or the ones she's sitting with."
"We'll have to wait until the matches start," Kurama memorized all of the demons watching them. "They'll be fixated on how well she will fight."
"If you're that worried why not steal her away," Hiei teased.
"Then she would be running in the other direction," Kurama looked back to his food.
The group parted ways after their last meal together for a long time. The brackets were held simultaneously and the battles could go on for weeks as long as the duelists had endurance. Yusuke, Hiei, Kurama, and Hoshimi made a barrier around Kuwabara while they moved through the crowds getting back to their place. Kuwabara was staying with Yusuke. Hoshimi created a miasma free room for him to breathe easy. Hiei left them once they were fine to catch up with Mukuro.
Chu and the rest of the gang were rooming in the same area. It was an apartment complex. Yomi was kind enough to let them use it while they were staying there.
"You better not strike out early just because classes are going to start again," Yusuke warned Kuwabara.
"Me? As if!" Kuwabara crossed his arms. "Besides, I want to become King so that I can help Yukina find her brother. I'd ordered him to come out and stop making her worry."
Yusuke was having a hard time keeping a straight face. It failed. He ended laughing at Kuwabara's order.
"Hey!" Kuwabara was ready to fight.
Yusuke rolled on the laughing. Hoshimi and Kurama were staying next door. The laughter could be heard over there.
"Are you sure it was a great idea to put those two together?" Hoshimi was looking at the Gandara city from the balcony. She was in her single tail fox form. Her ears twitched when the commotion kept going on the other side of the wall.
Kurama walked over to enjoy the view with her. "That's how they are. Besides that's the safest place for Kuwabara is with Yusuke."
"There went going to bed early," her tail swayed back and forth. "Some of the others are still awake as well. I wonder who will become the next ruler. It could be anyone. Such an intriguing thought."
Kurama thought about the first tournament. It was a surprise that Enki won. He wondered if that was going to happen again.
"You're thinking the same," Hoshimi then yawned. "I'm heading in first. I don't know who my opponent is but I'll need my energy. Goodnight." She headed back into the room to head off to her separate room.
Kurama noticed a figure had been watching them. He caught on too late as the coat tails flapped around the corner. He went back inside. Kurama closed and locked the doors. He set up a barrier to wake him if anyone should enter.
The morning of the tournament, all the groups were ready to battle against their foes. It took several months for each bracket. Each block was at a different timeline.
It was Hoshimi's turn to fight against to win the fifth bracket. She had used some of her ability when she was in the single fox form to win her battles. She stood waiting in the circle not giving the other fighter the benefit of allowing them to stare her down. The other fighter was the mysterious man in the yukata with the straw hat covering his face. He smirked as she didn't even acknowledge him. The countdown began. Several demons tuned into their fight.
When they were released to fight, the two didn't move for a while. It shocked the viewers. The mysterious man moved his stance thus leading Hoshimi to disappear. She reappeared only to be flying in the sky coming straight towards him with a snarl and her hand ready to knock him down. The mysterious man lifted his head up to view her. Hoshimi saw his face. This made her rethink her attack. She pummeled into the ground next to him. The dust revealed her on in a kneeling stance with her head on the ground.
"What just happened?!" Koto stood up. All the demons were in awe as well. "Hoshimi was going in for single final blow but ended up creating a crater next to him. It looked like as if one look from him sent her to surrender."
"What?!" Yusuke yelled as he watched the screen. "Hoshimi! You can't give up that easily!" He snarled in anger as he went into his fight. The countdown started. "Damn it! Get up Hoshimi! You can get his number after you defeated him!" He watched as the matched was called. The mysterious man won.
The mysterious man headed over to her. She didn't get up when he was standing in front of her. He still had on his smirk. He grabbed her hand and pulled her into an embrace. Next, he lifted her up into his arms. He carried her like a child. She rested her head on his shoulder while her ears and tail drooped in submission.
"This can't be happening!" Koto was now on the table. "Hoshimi is cuddling up to the winner. He must be really handsome or really scary to make her become docile. She looks totally defeated and-and what looks to me like guilt! I wish I could see what that guy looks like. If he spoke, she could probably die in his arms too."
All the demons that were free watched as the mysterious man took Hoshimi away into the elevator. The ones at the bottom level waiting for their next turn to use the facility watched in horror and fear as he walked on with her draped on his arm. The two headed back to the main area. Demons whispered as they passed by while trying to not bring any attention on to them.
The mysterious man headed to a small bar, two demons formed behind them protecting the two. They scared off any others who wanted to keep watch. The two demons got others in the bar to leave certain areas. The mysterious man got the largest room in the back. It seated them all comfortably and even had a small stage in the middle. The two stood outside to create a wall, leaving the two some privacy.
The first bracket losers amongst the Urameshi group was Kuwabara, Rinku, Shishi, Shura, and Suzuki. Kuwabara went back to the human world to finish his studies. Second bracket loser was only Toya. Third bracket losers were Natsume, Chu, Jin, and Kujo. Fourth bracket losers were Hiei, Yomi, and Mukuro. Yusuke, Kurama, Enki, Kokou, and Saizou were still fighting on in their brackets. Most of them missed out on the battle between Hoshimi and her adversary. Those who were free from fighting did not.
"The little Sheila was all cozy with that playboy," Chu was informing Enki's friends. "Shishi and Rinku kept tailin' them. The group is laying low at a bar. Hiei is gathering information from Yomi and Mukuro."
Natsume, Kujo, Souketsu, Tetsuzan, Shu, and Den-Hu gathered together after being informed by Chu. They all agreed to keep Yusuke's friends from getting hurt. They had lost to Raizen's other old friends. They knew that this would only end up in more trouble.
"She's fine if she's with them," Natsume crossed her arms.
Chu and the rest were taken aback. The groups were in an area by themselves.
"What do you mean she's fine?" Suzuki clenched his fist.
"Remember, she said they were her first friends," Natsume reminded them.
"There is going to be a new king," Souketsu sighed. "Unless Enki can beat him but I doubt it." The others agreed.
"You sound like you all have given up!" Rinku was on the verge of angry tears. "We can't let them take her, friends wouldn't treat her that way!"
"It is better for the time being," Kujo tried to make them understand. "Just watch how the outcome plays out. We still have lots of fighters in the brackets. They will catch up since he won Block D but it will be a while before rest can make it to that point."
"Yeah, they have been fighting for a while," Jin's ears dropped. "I wanted to fight Yusuke and I was so close too."
It took eight hours for Yusuke to win his fight. Kurama had just finished his ten-day fight. He was exhausted but was wanting to know how the others ended up. He spotted an angry Yusuke with Hiei laughing at his emotions.
"What's going on?" Kurama was battle worn but still concerned.
"Why the Hell did she give up so easily?!" Yusuke was still mad about Hoshimi's decision. "That guy wasn't even Kurama, so why did she bow in front of him."
Kurama became confused. "Yusuke, Hiei, what exactly happened?"
Yusuke turned to him with a fist. "Hoshimi surrendered with just one look from a guy! Talk about being weak in the knees!" Kurama stared at the fist that was close to his nose. "Now he has taken her hostage in some bar, waiting for his rival from Block C. I'm in Block B and I will win just to knock that punk down."
Hiei was amused by Yusuke's actions. "The rest of the guys found which bar they are in. Do you want to talk one on one with him?"
"Let's go!" Yusuke pushed Kurama in that direction. Hiei followed them and informed Kurama on the situation.
The three headed to the bar with the rest of the group behind them in case they needed back up. They passed demons and smaller rooms to one guarded by the two demons.
"Hmph, we have three yuppies here," one of the demons informed the mysterious man in the back. "You want us to take care of them?"
"Let them in," the mysterious man called.
The two demons stepped aside with snarled lips and death glares to let them pass. The three spotted the mysterious man sitting in a relaxed position on the couch with a cup of tea in his hand while watching Hoshimi perform a fan dance. She stopped when he set the cup down. She didn't even acknowledge them.
"Have a seat," he greeted them. "Hoshimi." She got off the stage in her long kimono to sit next to him. Her fan hid most of her face.
"What have you done to her?" Yusuke got straight to the point.
"I haven't done anything," the mysterious man smirked. "She is like this on her own accord. So you are Raizen's son. Intriguing. I praise you for not allowing the demon world to be taken over by Yomi or Mukuro. This battle for King is nice. I'll introduce myself, I'm Hotaka. I was updated on everything thanks to Hoshimi."
The three looked at her. She kept her eyes down cast.
"She won't budge," Hotaka explained. "Hoshimi is loyal. She may have been loyal to you but we come first."
"You're all Raizen's old friends but never showed up until now," Hiei smirked. "Or were you just waiting for the right time?"
"Just waiting for the right time," Hotaka explained. "We came sooner when we heard the wail of sorrow and a certain name of a supposed dead demon. We did pay our respects to Raizen before coming. We fight for ourselves but this fight is for him."
"What shall you do once you become King?" Kurama asked.
"To keep the human rule Enki had established," Hotaka brightened. "Announce that any being hunts Hoshimi shall be punished personally by me and a few other benevolent laws."
The three were stuck on the second rule. All three had an eyebrow perched up.
"Don't tell me you're just as smitten as the rest of the demon population?" Hiei closed his eyes.
"Smitten?" Hotaka stared at an impassive Hoshimi. "And yet you haven't even shown your grandest form." He gave out a chuckle. "Is this how you view us? Smitten!"
"Hotaka," Hoshimi chided in soft tone.
Hotaka smirked as the rest were surprised that she spoke. "Forgive me, it's too long since I have resurfaced with the others. I wish all of you good luck on the coming battles. It would be an honor to fight against you. You are dismissed." He waved them away. The three reluctantly got up and started to leave. "Oh, one more thing. Don't even think that she would cheer for you when you battle against me."
The three left with confused emotions. Hiei didn't care enough to worry. He only wished that he didn't lose in the last battle he could have gotten a shot against him. Yusuke was fuming about how pompous he was. Kurama was trying to decipher his words. The next battle for the two of them tested their endurance. The winners of the brackets went as followed, Bracket A was Enki, Bracket B was Yusuke, Block C was Kurama and Block D was Hotaka.